Bag or suitcase having bottom bracing device

ABSTRACT

A suitcase includes a bracing device having a plate secured to the rear and bottom portion of the suitcase, the plate includes one or more slots to form or define one or more flaps. The bracing device further includes a board having a rear portion to be engaged into the slots of the plate, and having a front portion to be engaged onto the front and bottom portion of the suitcase. The flaps of the plate may be engaged onto the rear portion of the board, to maintain the board in an engagement with the bottom portion of the suitcase, and to prevent the board from being disengaged from the bottom portion of the suitcase. A sheet member may couple the board to the suitcase.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a bag or a suitcase, and moreparticularly to a bag or a suitcase having a foldable bracing device forbracing the bottom portion thereof.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical bags or suitcases or luggage members comprise a chamber formedtherein for receiving various objects, and normally comprise a boardmember solidly secured to the bottom portion thereof, to brace thebottom portion thereof, and to retain or maintain the bottom portionthereof in a straight or planar structure, and to allow the objects tobe easily engaged into the chamber of the bags or suitcases or luggagemembers.

However, the board member is solidly secured to the bottom portion ofthe bags or suitcases or luggage members, and may not be folded relativeto the bags or suitcases or luggage members, such that the bags orsuitcases or luggage members also may not be folded to compact foldingor storing configurations.

The other typical bags or suitcases or luggage members may comprise aboard member loosely received in the chamber thereof, and selectivelyengageable into the bottom portion thereof, to brace the bottom portionthereof, and to retain or maintain the bottom portion thereof in astraight or planar structure.

However, the board member loosely received in the chamber of the bags orsuitcases or luggage members, and may not be solidly secured to thebottom portion thereof; i.e., the bags or suitcases or luggage membershave no suitable fixing or fastening devices or forces for solidlysecuring the board member in the bottom portion of the chamber thereof,such that the board member may be easily disengaged from the bottomportion of the bags or suitcases or luggage members.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages of the conventional bags or suitcases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a bag or asuitcase including a foldable bracing device for bracing the bottomportion thereof, and for allowing the bag or the suitcase to be suitablyfolded to compact folding or storing configurations.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided asuitcase comprising a suitcase body including a bottom portion, a frontportion, and a rear portion, and a bracing device including a platesecured to the rear portion and the bottom portion of the suitcase body,and the plate including at least one slot formed therein, to define atleast one flap therein. The bracing device further includes a boardhaving a rear portion to be engaged into the slot of the plate, andhaving a front portion to be engaged onto the front portion and thebottom portion of the suitcase body, and the flap of the plate isengageable onto the rear portion of the board, to maintain the board inan engagement with the bottom portion of the suitcase body, and toprevent the board from being disengaged from the bottom portion of thesuitcase body.

A retaining device may further be provided for retaining the board inthe suitcase body, and includes a sheet member having a first edgesecured to the suitcase body, and a second edge secured to the board.The second edge of the sheet member is preferably secured to the frontportion and the board.

The plate includes at least one second flap extended therefrom andhaving a length smaller than that of the flap of the plate.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a careful reading of the detailed description providedhereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bag or a suitcase in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the foldingoperation of a foldable bracing device for the bag or suitcase;

FIG. 3 is a side schematic view of the bag or suitcase;

FIG. 4 is a side schematic view similar to FIG. 3, illustrating thefolding operation of the foldable bracing device for the bag orsuitcase; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the foldable bracing device for the bag orthe suitcase.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-4, a bag or asuitcase 10 in accordance with the present invention comprises asuitcase body 10 including a bottom portion 11 having a bracket 12attached or secured to the rear portion 18 thereof, to support one ormore wheel devices 14 to the front portion 19 of the bottom portion 11of the suitcase body 10.

The suitcase body 10 includes one or more foot rests 15 attached to thefront portion of the bottom portion 11 of the suitcase body 10, tosupport the suitcase body 10 in a horizontal or working position, andincludes a chamber 17 formed therein for receiving various objects (notshown) therein.

A foldable bracing device 20 is received in the bottom portion 11 of thesuitcase body 10, for bracing the bottom portion of the suitcase body10, and for maintaining the bottom portion 11 of the suitcase body 10 ina straight or planar structure, and for allowing the objects (not shown)to be easily engaged into the chamber 17 of the suitcase body 10.

The foldable bracing device 20 includes a plate 21 secured in the rearportion 18 of the suitcase body 10 with such as fasteners 22, latches(not shown), adhesive materials, or by welding processes, or the like.The plate 21 includes one or more, such as two slots 23 formed in thefront portion 24 thereof, to form or define one or more spring orresilient flaps 25 in the front portion 24 thereof.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the slots 23 of the plate 21 arepreferably opened toward the front portion 19 of the suitcase body 10.The foldable bracing device 20 further includes a board 27 having a rearedge or portion 28 to be engaged into the slots 23 of the plate 21, andhaving front edge or portion 29 to be engaged onto the front portion 19of the suitcase body 10.

In operation, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, when the rear portion 28 ofthe board 27 is engaged into the slots 23 of the plate 21, the one ormore flaps 25 of the plate 21 may be engaged onto the upper portion ofthe board 27, and the other flaps 25 of the plate 21 may be engaged ontothe lower portion of the board 27, in order to clamp or force the board27 in the planar or horizontal status.

It is to be noted that the one or more flaps 25 of the plate 21 whichare engaged onto the upper portion of the board 27 may force or depressthe board 27 downwardly toward and to engage with the bottom portion 11of the suitcase body 10 in the planar or horizontal status, and mayprevent the board 27 from moving upwardly away from the bottom portion11 of the suitcase body 10.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, it is preferable that the plate 21includes one or more intermediate flaps 25 having a length greater thanone or more side flaps 25 of the plate 21, to allow the rear portion 28of the board 27 to be easily engaged into the slots 23 of the plate 21.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, a cloth or flexible sheet member 30 may furtherbe provided and having one end or edge portion 31 attached or secured tothe suitcase body 10, such as secured to the upper portion 16 of thesuitcase body 10, and the other end or edge portion 33 attached orsecured to the front portion 29 of the board 27, for loosely retainingthe board 27 within the chamber 17 of the suitcase body 10.

It is to be noted that the cloth or flexible sheet member 30 may thus beused as a retaining device for retaining the board 27 within the chamber17 of the suitcase body 10, and for preventing the board 27 from beingdisengaged from the suitcase body 10.

When the front portion 29 of the board 27 is moved or forced upwardly,as shown in FIG. 4, the rear portion 28 of the board 27 may bedisengaged from the slots 23 of the plate 21, and the board 27 may thusbe disengaged from the plate 21 and thus be moved upwardly away from thebottom portion 11 of the suitcase body 10, and thus for allowing thesuitcase body 10 to be suitably folded to compact folding or storingconfigurations.

Accordingly, the bag or the suitcase in accordance with the presentinvention includes a foldable bracing device for bracing the bottomportion thereof, and for allowing the bag or the suitcase to be suitablyfolded to compact folding or storing configurations.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made by way of example only and that numerous changes in thedetailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

1. A suitcase comprising: a suitcase body including a bottom portion, afront portion, and a rear portion, and a bracing device including aplate secured to said rear portion and said bottom portion of saidsuitcase body, and said plate including at least one slot formedtherein, to define at least one flap therein, and said bracing devicefurther including a board having a rear portion to be engaged into saidat least one slot of said plate, and having a front portion to beengaged onto said front portion and said bottom portion of said suitcasebody, and said at least one flap of said plate being engageable ontosaid board, to maintain said board in an engagement with said bottomportion of said suitcase body, and to prevent said board from beingdisengaged from said bottom portion of said suitcase body.
 2. Thesuitcase as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for retainingsaid board in said suitcase body.
 3. The suitcase as claimed in claim 2,wherein said retaining means includes a sheet member having a first edgesecured to said suitcase body, and a second edge secured to said board.4. The suitcase as claimed in claim 3, wherein said second edge of saidsheet member is secured to said front portion and said board.
 5. Thesuitcase as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plate includes at least onesecond flap extended therefrom and having a length smaller than that ofsaid at least one flap of said plate.